Carrier: Rites Of Passage

Airs Tuesday, August 24, 2010 at 9 p.m. on KPBSTV

Above: Jets aboard the "USS Nimitz." "Carrier," a 10-part series filmed aboard the "USS Nimitz," is a character-driven immersion in the high-stakes world of a nuclear aircraft carrier.

"Carrier" is a character-driven, edge-of-your-seat, nonfiction drama and a once-in-a-lifetime total immersion in the high-stakes world of a nuclear aircraft carrier. "Carrier" follows a core group of film participants aboard the "USS Nimitz," from the admiral of the strike group to the fighter pilots to the youngest sailors, as they navigate personal conflicts around their jobs, families, faith, patriotism, love, the rites of passage and the war on terror.

Explore The Ship

Discover the history of the "USS Nimitz" and examine key areas of the carrier.

The "USS Nimitz" is 24 stories high, three football fields long and carries more than 5,000 Navy personnel and 85 military aircraft. Filmed from May to November 2005, nearly 2,000 hours of high-definition video were captured aboard the ship during a full six-month deployment to the Persian Gulf, of which three months were spent in combat in support of the ground troops. For the first time, a television series takes a raw and personal look at the Navy’s role in this controversial war.

"Rites Of Passage"

The last day in the Gulf is the last chance to drop bombs before the Nimitz heads home. The jets take off, laden with ordnance, and return hours later, still carrying the same bombs. As the Nimitz crosses the equator, the entire ship takes part in the Crossing the Line Ceremony, an ancient maritime ritual. In the middle of flight operations, a storm arises in the South Indian Ocean. The deck pitches violently, turning the already dangerous task of landing on the carrier into a nail-biting, heart-pounding drama.

Watch the full episode: "Rites Of Passage"

"Carrier," a 10-part series filmed aboard the "USS Nimitz," is a character-driven immersion in the high-stakes world of a nuclear aircraft carrier. In this episode, the last day in the Gulf is the last chance to drop bombs before the Nimitz heads home. The jets take off, laden with ordnance, and return hours later, still carrying the same bombs.